[Konflict]

I've been looking around for AS Level revision books, in the subjects: Biology, Chemistry, English Literature, and Maths.

But, I'm unsure which 'brands' of books are the best. CGP books are excellent at GCSE, but for Science, the Oxford books which my school provided for our 21st Century Triple Science were also very helpful.

Since I've only finished GCSE, I was specifically looking for 'bridging' books to give me basic knowledge at AS Level, but improve my knowledge from the GCSE stage throughout the holiday. (This will also mean that, come the start of college, I will remember vital pieces of information, and will require, hopefully, next to nothing refreshing or adapting time at all.) Although, I'm also searching for books which can be helpful for the next two years while revising for various different exams.

Can you recommend Maths, Biology, and Chemistry books? The college which I am planning to attend are on the OCR examination board for these three subjects I would have included English Literature in my book searching quest, but I am unsure which literature we will study. I may just get a ordinary book, to keep my English skills polished throughout the long holiday, and to ensure I don't resemble a fool while attempting to spell 'difficult' words. :P I find that if I don't use my English skills for a long while, I require time to become accustomed, and produce better work - similarly with handwriting over the holidays! (I'm sure lots of people can relate to that!)

Thanks! (I may have just produced a completely incoherent demand, and if so, I'm sorry! :P)

[Silly Goose]

(Original post by Konflict)
I've been looking around for AS Level revision books, in the subjects: Biology, Chemistry, English Literature, and Maths.

But, I'm unsure which 'brands' of books are the best. CGP books are excellent at GCSE, but for Science, the Oxford books which my school provided for our 21st Century Triple Science were also very helpful.

Since I've only finished GCSE, I was specifically looking for 'bridging' books to give me basic knowledge at AS Level, but improve my knowledge from the GCSE stage throughout the holiday. (This will also mean that, come the start of college, I will remember vital pieces of information, and will require, hopefully, next to nothing refreshing or adapting time at all.) Although, I'm also searching for books which can be helpful for the next two years while revising for various different exams.

Can you recommend Maths, Biology, and Chemistry books? The college which I am planning to attend are on the OCR examination board for these three subjects I would have included English Literature in my book searching quest, but I am unsure which literature we will study. I may just get a ordinary book, to keep my English skills polished throughout the long holiday, and to ensure I don't resemble a fool while attempting to spell 'difficult' words. :P I find that if I don't use my English skills for a long while, I require time to become accustomed, and produce better work - similarly with handwriting over the holidays! (I'm sure lots of people can relate to that!)

Thanks! (I may have just produced a completely incoherent demand, and if so, I'm sorry! :P)

You still have a couple of months of holidays left - relax and enjoy them. I took the same subjects as you at AS and I can tell you that there really isn't any need for any significant preparation before you start in september. All I did was read a few books to get an idea of what I wanted as my partner text for English coursework (since my school let us choose).

For future reference though: I found that the CGP books are still very useful for bio and chem (particularly the latter) at A level. You won't want to rely on them as your primary source of revision, but they can explain things more concisely and coherently than the textbooks. Plus, I know for a fact that the CGP guide contains a few bits information that is in the biology specification, but not in the OCR textbook.

A level maths is all about practice, practice, practice, so I'd recommend the alpha workbooks. Them and doing all the past papers is the only revision I ever really needed, particularly since the OCR textbook really is awful.

And with English I found York Notes Advanced were useful for getting a good grasp of the general meanings/criticisms of texts, which I used to make my own original points and conclusions.

[Anon?]

(Original post by Konflict)

Although, I'm also searching for books which can be helpful for the next two years while revising for various different exams.

I didnt use "bridging" books when I moved from GCSEs to AS levels, so I cant help with that unfortunately.

My school provided us with-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Level-Math.../dp/0748794530
for c1, c2, c3, c4 and s1.
They were amazing. They include examples, practice questions and exam questions. I would highly recommend these books.
I used these books and just done old exam papers to get high As.

For biology, I used mainly the CGP book. Most of my friends didnt like this book however, because it wasnt detailed enough for them . I got an A using just the CGP book but it wasnt really high. My friends who did get high As used-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Biology-Stud.../dp/0435691805

There is a similar type for chemistry aswell I think.


Hope I helped!

[Konflict]

I am going to enjoy my holidays - but I have literally no preparation done for next year. I don't want to be left behind once college starts.

I don't even know which books I will need for English Literature!

And, Anon, I have the last Biology (and it's Chemistry equivalent) book. However, it appears to jump straight into AS Level - there's no 'bridging.' I would most probably find it difficult to use the book before actually getting taught the contents.
I'll take a look at the Maths ones though!.

But it's the bridging books I'm most interested in during this time. It will keep my mind fresh over the holiday, without over-exerting it. It will also provide me with a basic understanding when I finally begin my chosen subjects.

P.S. Anon - does the Maths book you included also contain AS level? It says pre-AS level, so I'm assuming yes, but there is no definitive statement.

[Anon?]

I didnt do English lit so cant help with that

I would recommend the CGP Biology books then for "bridging". I thought it was really easy to understand. Use the Biology textbook when AS levels start, it will build up on the knowledge.
Arent there CGP books for "GCSEs to A Levels"?

(Original post by Konflict)

P.S. Anon - does the Maths book you included also contain AS level? It says pre-AS level, so I'm assuming yes, but there is no definitive statement.

I dont completely understand what you mean .
C1, C2, S1 (or M1 etc) make up the AS level
C3, C4, S2 (or M2 etc) make up the A2 level

So the C1, C2 and S1 books cover the whole AS syllabus.
They are really good
They do also contain pre- AS material in the first few chapters, so it will help you bridge the gap between GCSE and AS.

[Konflict]

Ohhh. I forgot about the different units in Maths AS Level.

Thanks!